Regaining old stamina

Hi Gemmary welcome to the forum. I expect that the answer to your question is another--------- how long is a piece of string!!!! The reason for saying that is that each and every one of us is different. It is not always just the physical aspects of the recovery but the mental and psychological impact.  

How long is it since all your treatment ended? I always feel that a part of us is forever changed after treatment  as we look at life slightly differently and things that may have bothering us before seem less important than others now.

best wishes for now.x

Good question Gemmary !!!!!!!

Hi Gemmary

I think it does depend very much on the person and how motivated you are to get fit again.  Age can also have a bearing on it and as you say treatment.  Some people sail through chemo others find it hard going.  I had surgery followed by chemo and it took me several months to get over the tiredness I had with chemo,  and I was also left with peripheral neuropathy (which I still have) and that made walking difficult at times.

I think it took me a couple of years to get back my stamina but up until Covid I had a very active life - some of my friends are amazed that I’d think nothing of driving from Devon (where I live)  to Leeds or north Wales in a day and I was regularly going backwards and forwards to London on the train, but I’ve alway had a busy life and I like to keep active and busy.  

Don’t let it bug you too much, just take it as it comes and hopefully you’ll soon get back to something like you were before you had your treatment.

Take care,

VickiLynne

I'm finding that this year the lack of stamina/fitness is impinging on my knee replacements, as in I cannot do enough to keep the muscles from withering. At this stage I was better a year ago, when 2/3 through chemo! So yes it is starting to bug me, as in will I ever get back to being able to walk properly and eventually ride. It is 9 months after chemo finished and 6 months after probable covid, and I am fed up of feeling ill. At the moment there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

Bless you. I am 6 months out of chemo. My fitness levels have diminished, but I have decided to push myself. I set a daily goal now of at least 10,000 steps. Out on the fresh air helps a lot. If I feel tired I rest - then start again.

little and often has helped me.

I still have neuropathy which affects my feet worst. I have no idea how they will be in winter, but I will get through it somehow.

good luck, keep going

paula

Hi Gemmary

I can understand how it bugs you,  I was scheduled to have chemo over six months, but with a couple of breaks it went into almost nine months,  I found that as I had more chemo I got more tired and had more problems walking.  I have joint hyper-mobility and chemo really affected my joints.  Towards the end of chemo I, had to use crutches for a while.  Things got better shortly after I finished chemo and I used  a walking stick for a few months and eventually was able to walk unaided again.  I still have a stick in the car as I do have days when I need it.  

Many people need to use a walking stick during and/or after chemo  for a short while.    Although I hated having a stick it gave me a lot of confidence to get out and about and as I was prone to tripping it prevented me from falling.

Everything is so different during covid and as you say it is so hard to exercise at the moment, but your chemo unit may be able to give you a few exercises to do every day. 

My arthritis has been a real problem during lockdown.  We don’t realise just how much exercise we get with the normal way of life, and if you’re used to riding, you must miss that so much.  My daughter has stables and runs equine therapy sessions.  She has very placid horses and I was planning on going for a few hacks this year - but now I don’t know when I’ll be able to get over to see her let alone go for a hack.

Take care,

VickiLynne

, yes, sounds like your chemo was the same, low dose 5FU?? Mine got stopped a few times, so was about 8 months rather than the 30 weeks.

The GP suggested I try and contact the oncology/chemo nurses, to see if they have any suggestions about long term after effects, and I'm waiting for a call back.

Hi Gemmary

Hope they get back to you soon, but the long term side affects are difficult to predict.  A number of hospitals are now doing gene testing before giving the type of chemo we had in order to reduce the risk of side affects.

I have been left with peripheral neuropathy- which can be a real problem at times, but I have learned to live with it, but I’m unlucky as , for most people, it usually goes after you finish chemo.